Friends of the Earth new (short) report : “Manufactured nanomaterials and sunscreens : top reasons for precautions”

Friends of the Earth together with ICTA and Consumers Union released today a 10 page report entitled “Manufactured nanomaterials and sunscreens : top reasons for precautions“. According to them these reasons are :
- Nanomaterials are different from other conventionally-sized compounds
- In the body, nanomaterials have much greater access to vulnerable organs and tissues
- Increasing evidence that some [...]

Nano review papers for environmental NGOs by the EEB

The European Environmental Bureau is producing a series of four papers “meant to serve as a capacity building tool empowering environmental NGOs to work actively in the field of sustainable governance and use of nanotechnologies and nanomaterials.”  Already two are available online :
Challenges and opportunities to green nanotechnologies (April 2009 ; 13 p)
Nanomaterials – health and [...]

NGOs challenge claims about environmental benefits of nanotechnologies

IPEN (International POPs Elimination Network) and EEB (European Environmental Bureau), two international coalitions of NGOs, recently pointed out in a press release a “mismatch between claims and reality” concerning potential environmental benefits of nanotechnologies. According to them, ” (…) early evidence of the much greater energy demands of producing nanoparticles, the significant quantities of potentially toxic [...]

Nanotechnology & sunscreens – EWG’s 2009 investigation

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) reviews the situation concerning nanoparticles in sunscreens in a dedicated section of its  2009 sunscreen guide, released today. I find particularly interesting this paragraph of their investigation’s contrasted conclusion : “When we began our sunscreen investigation at the Environmental Working Group, our researchers thought we would ultimately recommend against micronized and nano-sized [...]

Focus : nanotech on NGO websites

The emergence of increasingly numerous nanotechnology applications triggers a lot of debate, especially about health, environmental and ethical issues. Several NGOs have dedicated a part of their website to nanotechnologies to express their opinions / state their positions and initiate or relay campaigns related to nanotech, for example :
-> Campaign for Safe Cosmetics : nanotechnology page and position [...]

TACD Resolution on Consumer Products Containing Nanoparticles

The Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD) is “a forum of US and EU consumer organisations which develops and agrees on joint consumer policy recommendations to the US government and European Union (…)“. At its annual meeting last week in Brussels, it adopted a resolution on consumer products containing nanoparticles. TACD actually ”believes that steps urgently need to [...]

Nano & biocidal silver – Friends Of the Earth report

Friends of the Earth (FoE) released yesterday a report entitled   “Nano & biocidal silver - extreme germ killers present a growing threat to public health” (press release).
In the frame of this document, the NGO calls for “immediate moratorium on the commercial release of products that contain manufactured nanosilver until nanotechnology-specific regulation is introduced to protect the public, [...]

Environmental Defense Fund – Nanotechnology Notes

The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) proposes a blog entitled Nanotechnology Notes where “Science, health, and business experts at Environmental Defense comment on nano issues of the day“.  Have also a look on the dedicated page of their website to find out about the main objectives of their work concerning nanotechnology.